<p>Ok I have a serious problem.... I plan on being an chemE next year when i start college. Im great at the chem part but my problem is calculus. Im currently in AP Calc AB and Im struggling to get an 80%. I can get the basic stuff like applying the derivative formulas and stuff but when i apply them to other situations such as piecewise graphs and some of the differential stuff I get completely lost. I plan on taking Calc I in college but I was just wondering is this really that bad of a sign as to my future in engineering?</p>
<p>Nope. Some concepts you'll have to work harder on than others. That's life. Find a tutor, read extra books, do extra problems, work with your teacher... Do what it takes to get through the stuff you <em>have</em> to learn in order to get to the stuff you <em>want</em> to learn. That's how engineering is. Everyone goes through that, to varying degrees.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Yeah, everyone will have stuggles in engineering at some point. The question is, how will you respond to them? I've seen some students give up when they fail. I've seen others who worked harder and did very well. Engineering can be tough but it's worth it - there's so many opportunities for those who have engineering degrees.</p>
<p>Not at all. I never took algebra and I've always understood math but never really liked it. I had trouble with Calc in high school and got a B. In college I still had some trouble with calc 1 but that was for a different reason than not understanding it. Believe it or not I aced calc 2. Then I took Matrix Theory (linear algebra) and finally understood math. That was nice.</p>
<p>It took a while for me to catch on but the thing about calc 1 is that it is more concepts than you'd ever had before in a math class. Just start trying to understand the concepts.</p>
<p>You have the basics I don't see why you're stressing when you can at least get the foundation. Some don't even get that. Especially for basic differentials, they are often very primitive b/c that class is mroe than a few calcs in your future.</p>
<p>What helps me is trying to think of the concepts and think of images rather than figuring out the formulas or just rote memorization of what each individual function does. The complicated proofs will often confuse more than they help but if you go to your TA or prof and have them break it down for you step by step they will be happy to do so. I often would do this and end up finding out the reason I didn't get it was b/c it was far too advanced. Well didn't I look smart asking questions about classes I haven't taken yet.</p>